The final was highly anticipated, pitting two former world champions against each other. Phuong Vinh made history for Vietnamese billiards by winning the 2023 World Championship, while Kim Haeng-jik holds three World Cup titles, a record four junior world championships, and was once ranked among the top 3 globally.

Bao Phuong Vinh during the Asian 3-cushion carom championship final at Ho Xuan Huong Gymnasium, TP HCM on the afternoon of 8/5/2026. *Photo: HBSF*

Kim started stronger, demonstrating quality scoring runs. The South Korean player quickly established a lead with breaks of 6 and 5 points, going up 13-5. After Phuong Vinh narrowed the gap to 13-15, Kim maintained his consistency to widen the lead again. The first half concluded with a 27-15 advantage for the South Korean.

In the second half, Phuong Vinh mounted a strong comeback. The home player scored an immediate 10 points, narrowing the score to 25-27 and rekindling hopes of a reversal among spectators at Ho Xuan Huong Gymnasium. However, just as he was being pressured, Kim Haeng-jik displayed his composure with a 12-point run, re-establishing a safe 39-25 lead.

For the remainder of the match, Phuong Vinh repeatedly attempted to reduce the deficit to about five points but could not create a turning point. Kim maintained his precision in the decisive innings, reaching the 50-point mark after 23 innings to claim the championship. The South Korean player punched the air after scoring the winning point, while the home representative smiled and shook hands in congratulation.

Kim and Phuong Vinh play for the break shot. *Photo: HBSF*

Although he could not claim the title, Phuong Vinh's journey in the tournament was impressive. He was the focal point of the competition day on 8/5, consistently overcoming strong opponents to reach the final.

In the morning's round of 1/8, he caused an upset by eliminating reigning champion and world number one Cho Myung-woo with a score of 50-47. The match saw a remarkable comeback from Phuong Vinh. He was trailing significantly, 11-28, after the first half and further behind at 21-33 in the second half before exploding with large scoring runs, including a 10-point break to tie the score at 47-47 before securing the victory.

Phuong Vinh continued his strong form in the quarter-finals, swiftly defeating Son Jun-hyuk 50-16 in just 19 innings. In the semi-finals, he overcame veteran Tran Thanh Luc 50-40. A highlight of that match was Phuong Vinh's 15-point run.

Meanwhile, Kim Haeng-jik also demonstrated a convincing performance. The South Korean player defeated Vietnam's number one, Tran Quyet Chien, 50-28 in the round of 1/8, then advanced past Nguyen Dinh Quoc and Lee Beom-yeol to reach the final.

Few would have expected that both players in the final match had faced the risk of elimination from the group stage. Phuong Vinh only advanced thanks to tie-breaker criteria in Group D, having the same number of wins as Nguyen Huu Thanh and Japanese player Umeda Ryuji.

Kim Haeng-jik, on the other hand, even lost control of his fate after losing to Nguyen Van Tai and drawing with Doan Minh Kiet in Group G. He only secured his advancement thanks to a draw between Nguyen Van Tai and young talent Kim Hyeon-woo in the final round.

The 2026 Asian 3-Cushion Carom Championship took place from 7/5 to 10/5 in TP HCM, gathering many of the continent's top players from Vietnam, South Korea, and Japan.

Xuan Binh